The Greatest Digital Easter Eggs

Chocolate Easter eggs are our favourite type, but there are also other Easter eggs that can be found in digital media. The tradition of hiding secret Easter eggs has been around for decades, and can be found in video games (think secret Goldeneye levels on Nintendo 64), films (think Stan Lee’s cameos in the Marvel movies), TV shows and online too.

These Easter eggs could simply be a popular culture reference, a moment of absurdity or hidden additional content, but they all have something in common: none are easy to find, unless you know where you’re looking. Discover 10 places you can find the best Easter eggs online, hidden within the programmes you use every day.

1. Facebook Messenger Basketball

The latest Easter egg to take the world by storm. Facebook Messenger released a hidden basketball game within their app. Warning! This incrediby addictive game can be unlocked by sending a friend the until now underused basketball emoji. Tapping the icon will make battle commence between yourself and a friend.

The game has logged over 300 million plays in just one week, I wouldn't like to admit how many of those are from me, but I will say I've lost many a hour due to my pals and I displaying our highly competitive nature.

2.Easter eggs in Google Chrome

Ever had the internet go down and you’re stuck with this screen?

Don’t despair, there’s a little dinosaur here to help you pass the time. Just press the space bar to be launched into a wild chase, jumping over plants and ducking to avoid the pterodactyls (Be warned: very addictive).

3. Easter eggs in Google Search

Google is great for finding answers to those essential random questions you find yourself daydreaming about (Do cheese and Nutella go together?), but can also help you find the meaning of life. For fans of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by searching for the "answer to life, the universe and everything" into the query box and "42" comes out as the top result.

Other phrases that generate tongue-in-cheek answers from Google Calculator include "number of horns on a unicorn + the loneliest number" and "once in a blue moon".

Find what ye be searchin’ for, ya landlubbers!

Google has created several spoof versions of its homepage, including one for Klingon speakers, another for pirates, and a third specifically for Looney Tunes character Elmer Fudd. They function the same as the normal Google search engine - only the buttons are different.

Zerg Rush

Type in Zerg Rush on Google and prepare for the attack of the O’s – double click each one to destroy it. SOS: Save Our SERPS!

4. Google Image Search

If you hadn’t noticed, there’s a lot of Google Easter eggs going on, but they are varied throughout their different products and are all pretty fun, for example in Google Image Search. Type “atari breakout” into the search bar… and goodbye lunch break.

5. Siri

Siri, an iPhone user’s best friend, also has some tricks up those sassy sleeves. Most iPhone owners have had great fun goading Siri into a sarcastic response; here are a few more to try out:

“Siri, am I stupid?”

“How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood”

“Beatbox”

“Knock Knock”

“When is the world going to end?”

6. Android

Android users can also join in on the fun: go to Settings > About Device and tap furiously on the Android version box to launch a secret game. Find the full run down of games and features here.

7. YouTube

Going back to Google products, YouTube has spared no expense in their Easter eggs. Transform your YouTube home screen by typing in the following phrases:

“Use the force, Luke”

“Do the Harlem Shake”

“Doge meme”

8. Konami Code

The Konami Code is a cheat code present in many Konami games, but the code also appears across the web.

Use the arrows on your keyboard to type: up + up + down + down + left + right + left + right + b + a. This code will unlock a super-secret part of a website, just for funs. The best Konami sites we’ve found are:

Google Maps has had many Easter eggs over the years, including featuring Pacman, the Loch Ness and the Tardis too.

Many of these Easter Eggs are no longer live, but keep searching the abstract and you may come across one or two like:

Interactive Tardis

In the street view of Earl's Court, you'll find Doctor Who's TARDIS. You can even explore the inside of the famous police box - and discover that it really is bigger on the inside!

Loch Ness Monster

If you search for Loch Ness, the little Street View 'pegman' icon turns into Nessie!

Antarctica Day Trip

Search for 'Half Moon Island' and drag the Street View 'pegman' onto the southern tip of the island. A blue route should appear so you can explore the Antarctic and even get up close to penguins!

“Are we there yet?”

And lastly, the Google Maps app on your smartphone also has a hidden easter egg you were probably unaware of. Start navigation mode and then tap on the microphone and ask "are we there yet?". The first time you ask, Maps will politely let you know how much longer the trip should take. Try two more times and you'll just get a "No" with each query. But ask one more time and Maps turns into an angry parent: "If you ask me again, we won't stop for ice cream." Please note: you'll need Google Maps v9.12 for this.

10. Google Hangouts

We find Google Hangouts very useful, but don’t just said any boring message. Learn to jazz up your chats with colour, gifs and mobs of ponies and pitchforks.

Now go, impress your friends and colleagues! Turns out programmers do have a sense of humour (who knew!) Let us know which Easter eggs you’ve found over on Twitter.

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